Congress rebel leaders Harendra and Pankaj Malik will officially join Samajwadi Party today

Days after resigning and ending his long ties with the Congress party, former MP Harendra Malik along with his son and former MLA Pankaj Malik will officially join the Samajwadi Party in the presence of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow today. Akhilesh Yadav has called a press conference today at 12:30 pm at the SP headquarters in Lucknow.

The joining of Harendra and Pankaj Malik is seen as a booster for the SP in western Uttar Pradesh, where both the leaders are said to have a good influence on the Jat voters. Harendra Malik, once considered close to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, along with state vice-president and former MLA Pankaj Malik resigned from the party recently. The departure of Harendra Malik and Pankaj Malik is being seen as a big setback for the Congress.

After resigning from the Congress party, Harendra Malik, while talking to the media, accused people close to Priyanka of hijacking the party. Harendra started his political career with former RLD chief Chaudhary Ajit Singh; At that time he was in Janata Dal. Malik first became an MLA from Khatauni in 1989 on a Janata Dal ticket. After this he was elected MLA from Lok Dal from Baghra seat of Muzaffarnagar. Later, he switched to the Samajwadi Party, after which he became a Rajya Sabha MP from Haryana from the Indian National Lok Dal. Later he went to Congress and contested the last Lok Sabha election from Kairana but lost. His son Pankaj has been MLA twice. Harendra has sent his resignation to Sonia Gandhi and Pankaj has sent his resignation to the UP Congress President.